Ascending the steps past a Pepsi-drinking monkey, we reached the area where the old and new lighthouses were constructed. Otherwise known as the flame-eyed Shiva, the old lighthouse was constructed in 678-800 AD. Carved out of the top of a very high granite rock the old lighthouse contains beautifully carved sides. It was used until 1900, at which time the new lighthouse took over. Of interest is that both lighthouses are a distance away from the sea.
At the base of the lighthouse rock is the famous Mahishasuramardini Mandapa cave. Here, a beautiful carved panel portrays an eight-armed Durga slaying the demon Mahish
asura. On the opposite end is a reclining Vishnu, deep in meditation before creating the earth.
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